Appraisal of Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater UsingStatistical Approach in Rural Areas of Quetta, Balochistan

Fluoride is a significant parameter of water quality and its consumption less or more than thepermissible limits in drinking water is detrimental to human health. Therefore,an analysis ofgroundwater sourcesin rural areas of Quetta was carried out. Altogether 32 samples werecollected from Borewells and Tubewells from Kuchlak, Mariabad, Hazarganji, and Hanna Valley.Samples were subjected to the examination of physicochemical parameters using standardprocedures. All the samples were transparent; pH was in the range of 6.4-11.2,ElectricalConductivity (EC)varied from 342-784 μs/cm,Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)ranged between219-502 mg/LTotal Hardness (TH) varied from 140-680 mg/Land F-ranged from 0.17-3.2 mg/L.The comparison of estimated values showed that all the samples were exceeding the limitsprescribed by WHO. Correlation studies showed that pH and EC were positively correlated with F-. Fluoride showed astrongpositive correlation with TDS and anegative correlation withTH. Thisresearch study indicates that 75% of groundwater samples had F-concentration greater than theallowable limits of WHO. A reliable monitoring program is needed to manage the drinking waterquality and health of the population.